Type-writer-ribbon threader.



N. L. ANDERSON. TYPE WRITER RIBBON THRBADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.26,1906.

fave/17o) :PA'TENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

3o -form of the ribbon-vibrator.

-- comprises ahandle portion and two side UNITED. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

NEAL L. ANDERSON, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITEROOMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A I CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-WRITER-RIBBON THREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed March 26, 1906. Serial No. 308,076.

5 'gomery and State of Alabama, have invented a certain new and useful Type-Writer-Ribbon Threader, ofwhich the following is a specification.

I This vention relates to means for facilitating the threading or introduction of ribbons into the usual vibratory ribbon-carriers -of front-strike and other visible-writing niachines. Said ribbon-carriers are usually .made so that the ribbon can be inserted and withdrawn edgewise but the openings for the ribbon .areusualiy ver-y constricted, and the ribbon mustbe caused to assume a tortuous form in order to enterthe openings, of which two are usually'providedone at each side of the ribbon-vibrator. The vibrator, more: over, is usually placed in a narrow s ace between a type-guide and a platen, an by rea-v son of all of these conditions it is found very difiicult to thread the ribbon into the vibrator.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difiipulty, and to that end I have provided a ribbon-threader which is given a form different from biit corresponding to the may be easily inserted in or wound about 4 ee parts of the threader and presented therey -to the ribbon-vibrator and the ribbon easily slipped from the threader upon the vibrator. The threader in its preferred form rongs'with an interveningback. The rib onis c'a ht. around the back and extends forwardly om the sides of said prongs, and 40 these forwardly-extending portions of the ribbon, which are at sharp angles to the back ortions, are in positionto plass into-the narrow openings -w 'chare provided in the-libbon-vibra'tor; so that it is only necessary to place the ribbon properly u on. the

' threader and then pass the latter own in' proper relation until it 'fits upon'the vibrator, whereby the ribbonis a'utohiatrcally thread- 4 ed upon the latter, and thegthreader may be 5o withdrawn.

'Inthe accompan g'drawin'gs .Fi e 1 is ,a. front view, and 2 aside of edgd view, of one form of ribbon-threader. Fig.3 is an The ribbondown-readily inverted edge view of the ribbon-threader, the position of the ribbon upon said threader being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 4 illustrates the'threader in position upon the ribbon-vibrator, a top view of the latter being shown and the threader being shown in section from the line X X, Fig. 2. This figure also shows how the ribbon when upon the threader is. enabled to pass readily down upon the ribbon-vibratorf At the lower part 0 Fig. 4 the ribbon is shown upon the vibrator after the withdrawal of the threader. Fig. 5 is a erspective view illustrating the manner of t eading the vibrator.

The threader, which is illustrated as formed of a single piece of struck-up sheet metal, although it may be otherwise formed, preferably comprises a handle 1, a back plate or part 2, and front side prongs 3 4, the latter formed by slitting the metal and bending it forwardly to form short oflsets 5 and then downwardly to form the prongs. The back may be formed with an aperture 6, through which the ribbon may be seen, and, if desired,

' this aperture may be extended along the dotted lines 7 to form an open slot, so that the back will consist of a pair of prongs. .As seen in the inverted view at Fig. 3, the ribbon 8 is wound around prong 3 andback at 9 to traverse the'space between said prong and the back portion 2 of the threader and then around said back portion, as at 10, to the other side thereof and forwardly at 11 and around the prong 4 the portion of the ribbon between the prongs formlng a loop. The

threader, with the ribbon thereon, is then thrust-downwardly u on the ribbon-vibrator 12,"Fig 5, the bac ortion 2 passing behind the'vibrator and t e ears 3 4 passing 1n front of the ribbon-guiding pins 13' 14,

usually provided upon the vibrator. The

ribbon; which is, usually carried upon a pair of spools, placed one at each side of the-vibrator, is sufficiently taut upon, the threader so that the angularly-disposed portions 9 and 11 thereof pass readily down 1n the narrow openings one in each side of the vibrator between the arms 15 and the pins 13 14, while thebroad portion of the loop slips down behind the arms of the vibrator, as clearly seen at 4. The ribbon and. threader drop down together, so that the ribbon assumes its proper positioniupon-the vibrator IOO vinthep Without changing its position u on the threader. 'The ribbon isthen he d down While the-threader is Withdrawn, thus completing the operation with the ribbon in the position seen at the lower part of Fig. 4.

Preferably the prongs 3 4 overlap the side edges of theback 2, as seen at Fig. 1, so that the portions 9 11 of the ribbon may stand at the best angles for passing behind the pins 13 14. This overlapping relation may be socured b making slight forward bends at 16 ate. I

Variations may be resorted towithin the sco e of the invention.

I iaving thus described my invention, I clairn--- l. A ribbon-threader having a handle, a.

' pair of prongs, and an intervening offset part 'rea'dilyfrom the threader cooperating with the lprongs, to hold the ribbon in the form of a oop, so that it Will slip carrier of a type-writing machine.

2. A ribbon-threader comprising a body upon the ribbonportion, and two prongs extending from. each side of the body, the prongs extending all in the same general direction, and one prong at each side being in front of the other, sothat a ribbon Winding from the front prong to the back prong at one side of the threader and then crossing to the other back prong and v NEAL L. ANDERSON. Witnesses B. GASTON, H. R. J OHNSON. 

